Les Saintes (Guadeloupe)
Cruise Ship Aerobics!
The smallest boat ever seen with a bow-thruster? (Off a gin palace…)
Raided by the cops!
A small cluster of islands just to the south of Guadeloupe, they are an idyllic outpost of La France. Make no mistake that the French ‘departements’ are outposts rather than Caribbean cultures overlaid by former colonials. That is both a blessing and a disappointment. After the horizontal pace of Dominica, there is something very refreshing about wandering back into a more European flavour with extensive menus in the eateries. And yet the more overt shift in the origins of the population brings higher prices.
Transport here is mainly scooters and electric buggies. The former are wielded with varying degrees of skills by the visitors, from the young to the terminally decrepid. Some of the latter look like they might not see the day out, especially given the 2-up antics. It is just as well that there are no cars to seal the suicidal bids. I jest, they are enjoying themselves, reliving their youth and no doubt recalling Easy Rider 🙂
For the first 3 days here, Webster was also in harbour, and we enjoyed meals and evening sundowners with Charlie and Kate.
Yesterday there was a visit by the Gendarmerie Maritime to check our papers. The two officers were very friendly and extremely courteous, a credit to their service!
We have spent some 5 days moored just off Ilet Cabrit, an even smaller island about half a mile from the main village. This was the location of a former prison, subsequently converted to a quarantine hospital. Now in ruins, it is seen only by the goats and the energetic who climb its 3 hills. The tranquillity here is amazing!
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